Identifying Trees That Can Threaten The Safety Of Power Lines

Hermine was the first hurricane to make a landfall in Florida after more than a decade. Severe damage was experienced so that even residents have to help out clean debris it left. JEA crews have to work hard to protect power lines from the threat of trees and fallen limbs. The utility company has a program that was designed to prune problem limbs without asking for any fees from those who qualify to maintain their power lines.

How does JEA identify trees and limbs that pose a threat to power lines? Generally, the higher the wires, the higher will be their voltage while wires that are within canopies are not really of great concern because they are not electrical hazards. Most of the wires that are within the tree canopies include communication lines, cable lines and telecommunication lines like AT&T. Wires that are above the street lights are generally part of the electrical distribution system that have potential electrical hazard regarding trees.

According to Joe Anderson of JEA, homeowners must make sure that there are no limbs around the service drop or the line that drops from the pole and provides power to a home. Homeowners must also ensure that there are no strains or abrasions on the wire for electrical safety purposes. Anderson also explained the job of odd C-shaped tree pruning. This technique is also called as directional pruning or natural target pruning where tree limbs are cut to direct its growth away from the wires to minimize the hazard.

As preventive measure, it is important to plant trees in the right places. Low to medium-sized trees can be grown underneath power lines; they can co-exist without any problems. To avoid a C-shaped look, the pruning process must be good and handled by professional arborists. This is particularly important for historic neighborhoods where the scenic view must be preserved.

Pruning when done by the experts of Tree lopper Perth will ensure a healthy tree that will live for years. Pruning is a maintenance task that should never be ignored because it could establish good branch structure to beautify the environment.